Pokemon: news/community/gaming

Monthly Archives: May 2016

If you have not already heard, Pokemon Sun and Moon will release on November 18th, 2016 in North America, Japan, and Australia. As for Europe their release date is set for November 23rd.

Since the game announcement we have received a good decent amount of information although there are a few among the fandom that want as much information; in my opinion less is more. Thus far, we have been given our destination, legendaries, starters and some basic game play footage. Sun and Moon will play out in the tropical inspired region of Alola where you will be given the option of choosing one of three starters. Rowlet the flying grass owl, Litten the fire kitten, or Popplio the water sea lion.Personally I am team Rowlet!

The game play was pretty standard with the main trainer of the region walking around the tropical island and showcasing parts of Alola. Some immediate things that jumped out in the trailer was that it may look like Pokemon is moving away from the top down view that has dominated much of the series. It seems that in Alola we will be able to have more freedom to explore the over world and feel more immersed with in the game. At the end of the footage we are given scenes of both legendary mascots for the sun and moon generation.

Johto Press Author Thoughts

I am fairly excited for Pokemon Sun and Moon to hit shelves this holiday season. One of the mechanics that I feel has not gotten too much attention is the fact that for anyone who chooses to buy the Gen 1 (Yellow, Red, or Blue) games on the Nintendo 3 DS eshop, will be happy to know that they will be able to transfer Pokemon from those generations onto Sun and Moon through the Pokemon bank system.

I have always found this aspect of Pokemon interesting because in the past it has been difficult to pass over Pokemon from one generation to the other; obviously this has improved with each installment. With Pokemon bank it has surely made trading much easier if a player wants to bring over their old buddies from past generations (Gen 2*, Gen 5, & Gen 6) and not to mention bring over competitive move sets, egg moves not obtainable in present games, and at times certain Pokemon not found in either versions of the regions.

One thing to note is that in Gen 1 there were no such things as natures, abilities, or characteristics, and the IV/EV spread system was entirely different. I am wondering then, when trading over to sun and moon how that mechanic will be decided. I have some speculations on how this may be done from previous installments in the series. In Heart Gold and Soul Silver (Gen 2* remakes), Black & White, Black 2 & White 2, the games gave a one-way trade transfer option to move Pokemon from an incompatible game engine to the next.

I’m sure that Pokemon and Game Freak could easily randomize these mechanics through Poke Bank but I feel like every time trading comes into play there is always some sort of incentive or gimmick that a player must go through for choosing to trade Pokemon over different generations. Going back to the Poke Transporter from Gen 2 (remakes) and Gen 5. After choosing the Pokemon to transfer, there was a cool “shooter” mini game that had the Pokemon jump around in a garden ever so often hiding from a bow and arrow that was used to knock them out and secure them to be transferred. I do not particularly like shooter games, but I will say it was enjoyable to feel like Katniss Everdeen during hunting season.

In Pokemon XY/ORAS, the Poke Bank system was introduced. Although it is a paid service of only $4.99 a year, the system has incentives such as Battle Points, Poke Mile Points, and exclusive giveaways like the promotional Celebi and starter Pokemon with hidden abilities.

I feel that when trading from Gen 1 to Sun and Moon, we will be introduced to some similar mini game or what I am speculating to be a special unlockable area like that in XY. Perhaps an island off the coast where the Pokemon you traded will be roaming around grass waiting for you to capture them. I can see the make up this area highly increasing the chances of those Pokemon to have high IV’s, hidden abilities, and maybe even be shiny for your dedication to Pokemon since Gen 1.

For now, we will wait and see what is in store when the games come out during the holiday. There will be more news coming Thursday, June 2nd at 6:00 am (PT). We still do not know in what format the news will drop on the internet whether it will be another video or just some images of unknown game mechanics and new Pokemon. Don’t forget to subscribe to stay up to date with any findings!

Have you ever felt a little famous? Or at least some form of recognition that you basked in for as long as it could last? Well, I’m in that situation.

As I was going through my YouTube feed to see what new posts had gone up, I settled on one of my favorite channels. TheNationalDex also known as The Dex, posted its latest podcast run by Jimmy, PokeKellz, and Alex. The main channel is run by Pokekellz and Alex which is geared towards a Pokemon loving audience with material ranging from Pokemon discussions, theories, lore, strategy, trivia, and the heavy duty of reviewing the entire Pokedex! Did I mention they are quite the co medics with their poke puns?

And then, it happened!

As an avid fan, I email them from time to time for their FANswers portion of the podcast where they read and answer fan mail. And then, it happened! Alex chose my email and read it on the podcast. The email pretty much explained how at last years Pokemon Symphonic Evolutions concert I sat 3 rows from them and was fangirling the entire show because POKEMON, duh; and famous poketubers. Needless to say, I was too nervous to approach and say hi. Furthermore, I posed to them whether or not they would be attending “future” Pokemon symphonic concerts. When I mean “future” it was more like an elbow to the shoulder to Kellz, Alex, and Jimmy–“Please say you are coming to the June 14th concert so I can meet you”.

Any who, they commented on the concert and gave me an ambiguous answer to my question which I felt was a wink. Not confirmed, but the answer at least in my understanding was they will have a more definite answer coming soon perhaps on their next podcast? Could just be something around the subject, who knows?! You know I will be tuning in regardless. You should too! I highly suggested you check what they are all about. You will definitely find something The Dex channel offers whether you need a good laugh or want to delve deeper into our beloved Pokemon creatures

“MILKTANK IS COMING! RUN FOR THE HILLS!”

If you have not already heard the Johto Classic competition, hosted by Pokemon international company, will be running its online competition from May 27 until the 29th. What is the Johto Classic you ask? Well, the competition is an exciting way to challenge players by revisiting Johto and Kanto Pokemon; hence the classics. What makes this competition challenging is that you are exclusively only allowed to use Pokemon found in those regions. Pokemon whose pokedex numbers range from 001-251*. There are exceptions to this, you are unable to use Mewtwo, Mew, Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Celebi. Certain items cannot be used like mega stones. You can bring 6 Pokemon to the party but only 3 can battle at any given time in the Single Battle format.**

Thank goodness for no mega stones because mega Scizor can deal some damage and whether down teams. This segues into the challenge of being the best there ever was, but to do so you need to watch out for common treats you will definitely encounter during your online battles. One being of course Scizor. Although Scizor lacks in speed, it makes up through its attack and defense stat, not to mention its good typing (Bug/Steel) which combos well with its already defensive capabilities. It has access to some incredible moves like Bullet Punch, Superpower, and U-turn. Bullet Punch is STAB because of its technician ability. When combined with U-turn it can switch in for a kill and switch out in the heat of battle if met with its weakness to fire types.

If met with the Bug of Steel, I would suggest including a fire type like Entei which can run Sacred Fire and Stone Edge to take the floor right under Scizor. Under than that Entei can really force players to switch wisely with Entei’s chance of burning. Thus far, Scizor has left his mark on my team since I chose to run a Rain Team composed of Politoed, Kingdra, Quagsire, Raichu, Slowking, and the ever so popular Belly Drum Azumarill. I will say that in one of my battles I surprised a Scizor with Flamethrower Slowking, which in turn won me the match.

Speaking of Azumarill, here is the power house fairy that will cut you down to size. It is one the pokemon that defined the meta back in the Johto format so it is not a surprise that I chose to use this cutie with the iron fists. First, it has the ability Huge Power which doubles its attack stat. Pair that with Belly Drum and you have got yourself a meaty helping of whoop butt! Once Belly Drum is used, you are looking at maxed out attack on Azumarill that can make use of moves such as Superpower and Playrough which is STAB.

If you are going fight it out with Azumarill definitely counter with poison types and moves in that latter. Two treats that I can see for this boxing “quing” is Gengar and Venesaur. Both have poison typing and have access to Sludge Bomb and it works against Azumarill with its already low HP after using Belly Drum.

Lastly, enter the dragon! Dragonite. You can say that this is Azumarill’s other half since they both dominated during their prime and you bet you will see them during the Johto Classic competition. Dragonite has a great ability known as Multiscale which lessens damage from on coming attacks as long as its HP stays high during battle. Dragonite is known to be a OHKO Pokemon. Its most popular moves are Outrage, Dragon Dance, and Extreme Speed. Usually you see it carry a Lum Berry or Weakness Policy. Outrage hits hard with one draw back, it becomes confused once the move count ends, however, this Pokemon does not sweat it since Lum Berry heals its confusion. By this time Dragonite might have already KO’ed at least 1-2 Pokemon. Weakness Policy works in that it raises its attack when hit supper effectively. This dragon has got it down so be sure to maneuver wisely around this beast.

Some honorable mentions are Zapdos, Suicune, Chancy, and Alakazam.

Personally in the way I built my team, I try to move away from convention and see if there are any other interesting strategies that can be put into practice to yield positive results. Thus far, I have had some interesting matches where I have been able to keep Dragonite at bay, destroy Zapdos users, and make strategic guesses. With that being said, I have had my share of set backs, like losing my Azumarill to Gengar and the oh so despicable Chancy wall (softboile again…..C’mon!)

If you are participating in the competition all your hard-ache will pay off with none other than the bane of our childhood play throughs of Gold and Silver, the rollout momo pokemon, its Whitney’s Milktank. Participants who play at least 3 matches will be given this prize through Nintendo network once the competition ends.

In celebration of the Johto Press grand opening, the blog will be hosting a free Pokemon giveaway.The Pokemon will be a competitive 5IV breed, Adamant (+Att,-Sp.Att), Extreme Speed (Event Exclusive Move) Dratini; gender will vary. The Pokemon giveaway will run from Wednesday, June 1st – Monday, June 30th of 2016.

“Enter the Dragon”

Rules

One entry* per person; entrants must complete at least ONE requirements

Welcome to the Johto Press! Your internet news blog to get news through the eyes of a fellow pokefan. The Johto Press will cover events, latest Pokemon news, and community thoughts through interviews, gaming , and pop culture. I am excited to embark on this literary adventure and hope that you will join the rest of the readership to gain the most up to date news, knowledge, and see where find yourself within the Pokemon community.

Make sure to check out my other media outlets for more content like video coverage, photos, events, and Pokemon giveaways.